It was 1862, at the start of a new year and in the midst of a civil war, when a group of Philadelphians petitioned Congress on the occasion of George Washington’s 130th birthday. They asked Congress to arrange a special reading of the first President’s Farewell Address, one of our nation’s more influential early documents. Congress agreed and held the reading in February that same year, a tradition that has continued in the US Senate up to the present. A Senator has read the Address aloud each year for more than 150 years now, commemorating both our first president and his impassioned defense of a Union far stronger together than it would be in pieces.

As we recall a tremendously successful year for Penn, we also remember 2013 as yet another fractious year in our national political discourse. Rare glimmers of functionality—the bipartisan budget compromise in December comes to mind—were overshadowed by the federal government shutdown in October, as well as by the many important pieces of legislation, including comprehensive immigration reform, that continue to languish. This year, when a Senator reads Washington’s Farewell, we can only hope that our elected officials pay close attention.

Beware of factions, warned Washington, which “may now and then answer popular ends, [but] are likely to become potent engines” working against a united and effective America. He implored that neither geographic differences nor party affiliation should usurp the good works and mutual interests that our fledgling nation could accomplish together. Washington offered sound advice not just in effective government, but in any work that a diverse group of people undertake together. In the fall, I met with members of the Penn community across campus to discuss Penn Compact 2020, with more meetings planned this semester. It was clear everywhere I went that the key to Penn’s success is in keeping with what Washington prescribed: it lies in fostering and preserving our collaborative spirit.

With 12 world-class Schools, a renowned hospital system, outstanding centers and countless programs and initiatives, Penn’s undertakings are vast and complex. But herein lies the secret of our success: where we could so easily divide ourselves up into isolated camps, we instead advance robust partnerships among Schools and across campus. We make it a point to know each other, to value what our colleagues are doing and to see immense worth in opening our doors and integrating our efforts.

With this spirit in mind, I warmly invite you to join the Penn community on Thursday, February 6th as we celebrate the grand reopening of the Arts, Research and Culture House, or ARCH. From 3 to 7 p.m., this historic, beautifully renovated building at the corner of 36th and Locust Walk will be open for tours, entertainment and culinary delights from renowned chef Rick Bayless’ new café.

The ARCH holds a special place at Penn as one of the central homes for undergraduate cultural and research life. It is a hub for all students, faculty and staff to share ideas and collaborate, with an inviting lounge, newly revitalized auditorium—adding central space for classes and performing arts groups—and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Home to three vibrant cultural centers—La Casa Latina, Makuu and the Pan-Asian American Community House—the ARCH is also the locus of undergraduate research through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, or CURF and home base for the Benjamin Franklin Scholars and University Scholars. Thanks to a generous anonymous gift, the new ARCH further distinguishes Penn as a national leader in promoting cross-cultural and academic collaboration.

As we celebrate the significance and beautiful new spaces of the ARCH, I hope you will likewise celebrate the many successes of Penn. Our achievements would not be possible without you—Penn’s talented students, eminent faculty, devoted alumni and exceptional staff. In 2014, with our collaborative spirit and hard work, I anticipate even greater strides for our University.

Penn has true purpose in the world, and it just so happens that in his Farewell Address, Washington touched on that, too. He reminded the nation to “Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.”

In the interest of an ever more enlightened public, a more perfect union, and a better world, welcome to another exciting, purposeful year at Penn.